Kushina and Minato – A Love Story
by starshipw
Summary: MinKushi - Kushina has finally found the love that she longed for. Now if she can only keep them both alive long enough for him to become Hokage, her to reclaim her lost homeland, and perhaps someday even have a baby of her own. "Ichiraku Ramen Closes"
1. Getting to Know You

Kushina and Minato – A Love Story

Chapter 1

Getting to Know You

... ... ... Welcome to my new readers as well as everyone who has previously read Kushina's Diary. This story is a sequel to Diary and may make references to occurrences in the prior story, but I will always try to make sure the OCs properly reintroduce themselves. This is a happy moment in Kushina's life, but in a ninja world tragedy is always waiting nearby. Please read, enjoy, and review... ... ...

_July 10 – Dear brother, in the four years since our village was destroyed, I have fought to become a credit to our family. I have developed numerous strong friendships with the young people of the Leaf, but I never knew that I could love again. This boy, no... man, he reaches a place inside me I thought had been broken and scarred by too much violence and death. Am I being selfish to desire happiness when so many of our scattered people wait for me to lead them back home? Help me Nii-chan._

The glint of the sun filtering down through the treetops woke Kushina. She screwed her eyes tightly closed trying desperately to commit every moment of her vibrant dream to memory. It made her happy and sad and happy again. It had been so vivid, but now it was slowly fading away in the chilly mist.

She warily cracked an eyelid against the glare and it immediately became apparent why she was shivering. She was laying naked on the ground and her covers had slipped down around her waist. The only thing protecting her torso from the morning dew was an arm laying across her chest and a large hand which cupped her left breast. Before even attempting to make sense of her situation she stripped all the moisture from their bodies and blankets and sent it sailing back into the river. Freed from the chilly condensation, the morning air felt warm on her skin.

Images of the previous night came flooding back to her, the love poems, the singing, the dancing, then ecstasy like she had never before experienced. Could that have really been her cavorting naked beneath the waterfall, offering not only her body but her entire spirit to this beautiful man reclining beside her. This was so unlike her. Rather than the abandon that characterized her actions in battle, she was normally cautious when it came to things of the heart.

That's what made this first time waking up together so awkward. She looked away. Never before had she awoken next to a naked man. Her only previous love affair had been completely different, the dead of winter huddled together for warmth. Falling asleep while nude would have been an invitation to having your frozen extremities amputated. Rather the question was always what was the minimum amount of clothing possible to remove and still do the deed. The next morning you held your breath, jammed on your overshoes, tightened your winter cape around you and rushed through the icy blast to the privy to relieve your bladder. It was the complete opposite of romantic and also very stinky.

Carefully she removed his hand from her bosom and sat up. Sneaking away with ninja stealth would save so much embarrassment for everyone. As she squatted over the slit trench behind a bush she shook her head. This was all foolishness. What could he see in her? He had his pick of much prettier, much more well endowed girls and had made love to most of them in the Leaf Village. Would he just laugh at her clumsy amateurish efforts to please him? Silently she gathered the clothing scattered haphazardly around the camp, except for her underpants which were folded neatly on top of his uniform. The thought of him handling her panties made her blush as she swaggered towards the river. Determining why she was walking bowlegged this morning and the display of her chest wrap fluttering from a sapling along the path turned her face even redder.

She relaxed as soon as she stepped into the river. As usual water calmed her and she allowed the current to wash her cares away. She swam upstream for exercise and settled on the river bottom beneath the falls to meditate. It was only ten or fifteen minutes before she came to a decision. She would let him go. It would be useless to hold him to a promise that he would only go out with her. As the sole heir to the Namikaze Clan he was as close to royalty as anyone in Konoha besides the families of the Hokages, while she was a homeless orphan subsisting on the kindness of strangers.

No, it was better to break it off now before they became too attached. She would still stay by his side until he became Hokage, but she couldn't pretend to love him in order to trick him into freeing her homeland by committing the Leaf to a war against the Cloud. At least she was done with hiding. Lord Hanzou might consider it beneath his dignity to report that a member of the Uzumaki Clan had survived the massacre four years before, but plenty of Rain ninja had seen one of the Whirlpool Great Bears in battle and by now rumors had probably spread halfway across the continent.

Her decisions completed, she relaxed and took a deep breath. Unfortunately she was still beneath the water. Cursing herself for a genin mistake with the names of every bottom-feeding fish she could think of, she allowed the force of the falls to propel her back to the surface. She stood, coughing up liquid and trotted back to the riverbank to retrieve her soap.

She had just finished bathing when she sensed a familiar chakra rushing toward her. Shyly, she automatically crossed her arms, so she was unprepared for a scream and a hurtling body smashing down with a monumental splash. "Banzai!" Minato resurfaced laughing until he saw the ten meter tall tsunami crashing down on him. He slowly bobbed back to the top laying face up. "Note to self – Never start a splash fight with a water jutsu master. Hey Red, you're red. I mean your hair isn't brown anymore. That color suits you. Mind if I borrow your soap?" He grabbed the bar off of a bubble which remained anchored against to swift flow of the river.

Kushina stared in spite of herself. She had been about four the last time she bathed with her brother. Of course the public saunas in the Whirlpool had been co-ed, but it was considered bad manners for anyone older than eight not to keep their towel properly wrapped in place. She stuttered and turned away, "Uh, oh, well, my hair. I just figure that now I'm a jonin and after that battle we just had with the Rain that my alias of Otemba will be going into all the bingo books anyhow, so let them speculate on my true identity. Right now I figure any rumors will encourage my friends more than they will help my enemies."

"Good, I'm sure the Third will understand even if the Councilors raise a stink." He put his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck, "Mmmm, your hair smells nice." She squirmed, but the slippery feel of his hard muscles caused her to gasp as her feelings from the night before reemerged. He stepped back, "Uh-oh, I got your back all sudsy. Here, I'll help." He splashed her with a heavy spray.

"You idiot! I'm trying to be serious here." She sent a waterball at his head, but he was gone. Explosions, barricades and projectiles tracked him across the river, but he was too fast for her to catch.

Each time he zipped past he continued the conversation, "It's hard... to be... serious... when yer... completely... naked." He grabbed her waist and they went skimming across the surface, ending in a feverish clench beneath the waterfalls. It was a long time before she was able to gather enough willpower to break off the kiss and push him away. A bubble formed around them.

"Flash, please, I need to say this while I have the courage."

He reclined against the side of the sphere smiling. "OK, but here I thought she kind of enjoyed what we did last night."

She stammered, "We... What... I..." Softly, "I'll always treasure the memory of this valley, but my happiness isn't what is important. The Uzumaki Clan has always known the importance of alliances. If my father and brother had not died I would have become the consort of some powerful leader for the sake of my people. But now I have no dowry to offer you. The Third is getting old and in this age of war the Leaf Village will soon need a younger, stronger Hokage. For the good of the whole world that Kage must be you. Tightening bonds through marriage with another powerful clan or allied nation will further all our goals."

She turned away again, having vented all the passion which she had bottled up while meditating. "Besides, there are lots of more beautiful women out there. They say you like voluptuous girls."

He replied in mock seriousness. "That is true. I am a big fan of boobies. I'm attracted to 'em all from teacup size to melons. But most of all I love perfectly conical perky ones like yours. But when the day comes and we're old and wrinkly and they dangle down around your waist, I'll still love them. Do you know why?" Fiercely he turned her around and placed a hand on her breastbone. "They are so huge they can cover the most gigantic heart I have ever known. It contains the strongest most loving spirit in all the world and is controlled by a mind so sharp that just being near it can slice you to ribbons. How a brain which can instantly analyze the strengths and weaknesses of any opponent can so misjudge how others see her is a mystery."

"Uzumaki Kushina, let me put it this way. At this moment there is probably a dark cloud gathering outside this vale that is caused by the anger of all the men in the Land of Fire envious that I am the fortunate shinobi making love to their Otemba-chan." He grabbed her forcefully and kissed her so savagely that she lost all control. The waterfall flushed them out, sending them tumbling through the spray locked in an embrace. Much later, after their passion was spent and they became conscious of anything other than the touch of each other's bodies, they discovered that they had been washed many kilometers downriver.

… … …

Sakura closed the diary with a contented sigh which was echoed by all the other girls in the reading group. It appeared that no matter how fierce they were in battle that kunoichi were just older versions of little girls yearning for a handsome prince to bring them romance. Ino looked around at the guys and from the drooling wolfish look on their faces determined that it was not romance they were thinking about. She began pounding on heads at random, "You lechers, don't ruin a beautiful story. Sai, you can walk me home." For once his smile did not seem insincere.

Naruto stood quietly at the foot of his bed with an arm around Hinata's shoulders. Even he recognized that it was a little strange for a normal boy to be thinking about his parents having sex without encountering a large "Ick" factor. But then he was hardly typical. He had never known his mother as someone to take him in her arms and comfort him. He only knew her from her writing as a kunoichi his own age struggling with loss and death while trying to make her way in a dangerous world. Now she was more than a missing pair of soft hands, a blank face that he had cried himself to sleep over in his crib. She had become, if not a mother, then a great friend with whom he had bonds which would last forever. He looked at the frame which held the closest thing he had to a baby picture. Next to the Fourth Hokage stood a very beautiful, very pregnant redhead.

"Moegi, tell Konohamaru and Udon that I can't train with you tomorrow. Hinata and I have a very important date." She giggled.

Neji interrupted, "Hanabi-chan will walk home with Hinata-sama this evening and TenTen and I will meet you outside the compound gates at noon."

"Uh Neji, I kinda thought Hinata and me'd just be by ourselves tomorrow. It's our one month anniversary we been going together and all."

Neji fumed, "It is about time that you learned that your actions have consequences. Unfortunately as usual I am the one who has to bear the brunt of those consequences. What did you think would happen when you allowed Hiashi-sama to catch you making out? Of course he has been aware from the beginning of her infatuation with you, but out of love for the princess he pretended to ignore the evidence as long as you remained discreet about it. However, finding you kissing in the middle of the street outside the gate is a scandal he cannot ignore. As a result whenever you two are alone, either Hanabi-sama, Ko Hyuuga, or myself will chaperon. Should I fail in this mission, I may as well have my brain explode."

Tears brimmed in Hinata's white eyes, "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry. I was afraid to tell you what father said."

"Don't cry Hinata-chan. Double-dating will be fun. Anyway, you know I can't make any plans until after I hunt down the Akatsuki to make them pay for what they did to Pervy Sage and Asuma-sensei and bring Sasuke back, but in a month you will turn sixteen and your dad won't be able to tell us what to do anymore."

Neji nearly exploded, "How naïve can you still be after reading about Kushina? When she comes of age the pressure from the elders will only become greater for Uncle to decide whether she is competent to become his successor and choose which daughter to place the curse mark on!"

_July 15 – Our holiday is over and with it the magical time alone together. Tomorrow we will be back in Konoha to face the death and sadness which comes from being a shinobi living in a time of war, Nii-chan. Is this still all right, brother, to write these diaries for you or could it be that it is time for us both to move on? I've been worrying all week about what the dream that first night with Minato meant? Have I really found the person to fill the empty spot in my heart? Is this diary now for him or should it be written for the child we might some day have?_

She was five years old and playing with her big brother in the Christmas snow outside the gates of the Whirlpool Village as it had looked before it was destroyed. Normally he never had time to play with her anymore since becoming a genin. He was always out on silly missions or training, but today he had stayed in the castle with her. His jutsu gathered snow together on the bridge and formed it into a tiny statue. Water from the river flowed up and gave the figurine a glittering coating which immediately froze in the blustery wind.

She stared at the tiny snow bear wearing a long samurai robe and two swords and jumped up and down clapping her hands, "It's Bushi. You made me Kumabushi. I'll love him forever, Shiguma-nii-chan."

He knelt down beside her placing a hand on her shoulder, "Shina-chan, you are old enough to understand he is made of ice and snow and tomorrow a warm wind will blow in off the ocean and melt him away. Unfortunately it is like that with people too and sometimes they have to go far away."

She sniffed, "Like Mama?"

He lifted her chin and nodded, "Yes, I have to go be with Mama now. Remember that I love you and there are many other people who love you still. Happy seventeenth birthday Shina. It has been a joy to watch you grow into a fine woman, but from now on I won't worry because you have someone new to love and take care of you." He kissed her on the cheek and stepped off the bridge, strolling away on the haze. With each stride he grew until he became as she had last talked to him, the finest ninja in the Village going off alone to face Hanzou of the Rain. As he faded away she frantically tried to memorize the sound of his voice and the touch of his hand. A teardrop leaked from under her long eyelashes running down into her ear.

She stood shivering in the frigid gale until she heard someone approaching on the bridge. It was a man with spiky golden hair and a smile which could melt a mountain of snow. He swept her up in his arms and they kissed passionately, warming her heart. As he carried her off she looked back and saw a small boy toddling after them with his arms outstretched. He was a handsome child with hair just like Flash's, but strange whisker marks on his face.

… … …

"Red, are you crying? Is everything OK?"

She wiped her eyes. "Fine. I was writing in my diary and fumes from the campfire blew into my face."

He nodded solemnly as he watched the smoke spiral straight upwards in the calm night air. "Sorry. Hey, am I in the diary? Let me read what you say about me."

She snatched the book back and yelled, "Listen Buster, you only have two choices: Either be the star in this diary or read it and drown in the nearest mud puddle." He held his arms in the air submissively, but couldn't manage to keep the grin off his lips. She was smiling again. He would gladly face death to keep that smile next to him.

**Next: **Chapter 2

News


	2. News

Kushina and Minato – A Love Story

Chapter 2

News

**Author's note: **_Forgive me, Readers for making you wait so long for an update._ I got engrossed in a new project, writing a movie script. It is a completely different exercise which took much longer than anticipated. About the time I decided to let it rest before attempting a new draft, I ran into a small health problem, but now I'm back and hoping to spend some time with Kushina. I look forward to your comments.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

_July 16 – Konoha. The comforting familiar view of the Hokage statues. Stepping through the village gates after an absence is always exciting, every bit as much as the first time four years ago. Nii-san... reader, no... child I may have some day in the future... Aiji, I want you to know how much in love I am at this moment and how good it feels. The longing, the desire almost so strong as to be painful. Our idyllic week alone together came to an end with a kiss in front of my apartment. The feeling of separation is devastating. I won't see Flash again until we report to the Hokage, in one hour._

"Tsume, who could that big girl sitting next to you be?" The kunoichi hugged and the dog girl received a kiss from Minato.

"Hana just turned 15 months. She insists on feeding herself." The baby stuck a pudgy fist into the bowl and tried to stuff it and a glop of squished ramen noodles into her mouth.

Minato knelt down to examine the child. "Tsume-chan, you certainly do make beautiful babies. You better get her two dogs, no, better make it three, to chase all the boys away. Speaking of dogs, where is...?" A gray streak zipped around the corner of the ramen shop as the huge wolf pounced on the jonin's back, flattening him to the ground.

"I Win."

Hana squealed and clapped her sticky hands. "Ay-y, Gu-ma-go winned."

"There's my brave hero. Give Auntie Otemba a kiss." Kushina knelt down and threw her arms around the furry neck.

"O-tem-pa good."

"Otemba loves brave Kuromaru, yes she does."

Minato griped, "Would you two make out someplace other than on top of my back?"

"Sor-ry Mi-na-to. I win." Everybody laughed as the girls helped him up. When Kushina sat down at the counter she noticed a second infant was present.

"Teuchi, who is your new sous-chef?"

"Welcome customers. Might I introduce my baby daughter Ayame."

"How sweet. Can I hold her?"

"Way to go, Teuchi-san."

Kushina stroked the full head of whispy brown hair as she murmured, "You are so precious and as pretty as Hana-chan. Do you always bring her to the shop? Is your wife at work?"

The cook looked embarrassed. "Well her Mom can't sleep and gets cranky when she has the baby and since Master Ichirou doesn't mind, it is easier for me to watch Ayame."

The infant mewled and nuzzled Kushina. "I think she's hungry. I'm sorry Little One. I don't have anything for you. Ask Tsume."

"Nope, all dried up since I went on that assignment."

Teuchi set out two bowls, "One miso with pork. One extra-large beef ramen. If it is not an imposition Otemba-san, it will only take me a minute to warm up a bottle from the cooler."

"Take your time. I haven't fed an infant this small since a D-rank babysitting assignment."

Minato looked uncertainly at the child grasping his pinkie. "Input is the easy part. Jiraiya-sensei always stuck me with diaper duty."

Tsume laughed at them. "Such a pretty picture. As I suspected, you two need a baby of your own."

"Tsume!"

_July 18 – There is nothing like the splendor of a royal palace on the evening of a fancy dress ball. I know, I know, I claim to be a classic ninja, beyond desires for luxury and jewels, but ballgowns are my one guilty pleasure. Even when I was in my tomboy phase and hated dressing up and wearing any clothing in which I was not allowed to run and fight, I still enjoyed gazing at the pretty ladies emerging from their carriages all ruffles and sparkles. I well remember sitting on a balcony with my legs dangling through the balustrade, watching the colorful explosion of twirling dresses being guided around the dance floor by elegant gallants in waistcoats, dress uniforms or silk robes. Aiji, if I ever have a girl I pray that at least once you and Hana and Ayame get to know how it feels to be a princess._

Even though it was still over an hour before dusk, the torches lining the drive to the Fire Daimyo's palace had already been lit to greet the guests. The Daimyo's carriage pulled up at the palace entrance and debarked the guests of honor. Kakashi jumped out first and immediately began tugging at his itchy shirt collar. Kishun Haruno stepped gingerly down the steps, then turned to offer his hand to Hanami.

She paused uncertainly. "Tell me again why I have to be here?"

Kishun laughed, "Because I have to be here and Rin insisted I needed a nurse to hold my hand and she was not going to do it."

Minato squeezed past her on the step. "I thought you went to balls in the Water Country."

"That was undercover and I didn't have to go as me. I always let Little Sister handle the tough parts and she won't even tell me about the worst of it if she doesn't want to."

Kishun lifted her off the step and set her on the golden carpet. He tapped her pink hair with his index finger. "Tonight you keep Little Sister locked tight inside here. Hanami is the beauty I love and want to show off to all the fancy-dancy rich folks in here."

Hanami still looked uncertain until Kushina inquired, "I wonder which personality goes to bed with you?"

Minato choked but Kishun deadpanned, "Oh both. One moment she is shy little bashful Hanami and the next a raging tiger of passion."

Minato guffawed, "Otemba has that split personality too. I think most girls do." That earned him a painful punch in the shoulder. As he rubbed it the redhead linked arms with the pink-haired girl.

"Let's go inside where we can at least be insulted by a better class of people."

"OK, but weren't you the one who started the trash talk?"

"It got you to stop worrying about all the overdressed women inside, didn't it. Take it from someone who comes from a place where saunas are fashionable. Most of those people don't look nearly so good without their clothes."

The grinning men hurried up the stairs after their dates while Kakashi stood looking perplexed. He had gathered new data concerning this boy/girl thing, but it didn't seem to correlate with the narratives in the books he had hidden in his apartment. He shrugged and hurried after his older friends. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be such a boor after all.

… … …

"Min-Min-kun, you bad boy. Why haven't you come to see me in such a long time." Despite the best efforts of her makeup, it was obvious that the lady was closer to entering her fourth decade than she was to her teens. A profusion of bows and jewelry gave the impression that she was overdressed despite a gown who's neckline plunged dangerously below her navel. Minato was nearly successful in hiding his embarrassment.

"Countess, may I introduce tonight's guests of honor. Friends, the Countess of Kaigan no Oni. Milady, where might your honored husband the Count be tonight?"

"Silly Boy, never you mind him. The depraved reprobate is off somewhere feeling up the staff. He won't be sober enough to notice I'm missing."

Minato's fingers surreptitiously begged for aid from his wingman before this reminiscence of a bygone dalliance got him murdered by his red-headed girlfriend. "Captain, sorry to interrupt, but I see the Daimyo's chamberlain and would like to introduce you."

The woman's face showed a brief flash of anger, until she got a good look at Kishun. "My, but aren't you one luscious hunk of manliness? Do you know why God gave women two breasts? It is so she can suckle two naughty blond boys at the same time."

This was too much for Kushina. Minato needed to be reminded of the consequences of his youthful transgressions, but Kishun had done nothing to deserve being stalked. She moved next to Minato, neither behind him seeking protection, nor in front claiming ownership, but shoulder to shoulder as a comrade. "Countess, you forget yourself and your station. A great and powerful man once taught me that the only excuse for having a nobility is that it provides an example to the commoners of a better way to live. If nobles do not act in an upright manner they just become the barbarians with the biggest weapons."

"How dare you, you foreign whelp? You have no sponsor in the court. Don't you know with one word in the right ear I can break you. Otemba is obviously a nom de guerre. Who are you to suddenly appear shortly after the Whirlpool Invasion and yet the Hokage...? Red hair? Could you be...?"

"My Dear Countess Kaigan no Oni."

Everybody stopped and bowed mumbling, "Your Highness Princess Shijimi."

"Dearest Countess, please remember that we are in wars and near wars on several fronts. Gossip about the identities or possible aliases of our warriors becomes a matter of national security. Never you mind though. You have the love of his Majesty so the Grand Inquisitor need never be told." She took Minato's arm, "Captain Namikazi, could you inquire of the Hokage about lending us someone from the Morino Clan? The Inquisitor's methods are distastefully brutal."

The Princess waited until the hallway door was firmly shut before she broke out laughing and threw her arms around Kushina. "Shina-chan, you were wonderful. I've waited for ages for someone to help me put that harpy in her place."

"Shi-chan, you look radiant. Marriage agrees with you. Except... you seem a little substantial around the waist."

The princess giggled. "That was awfully rude. I have done my princessly duty and around the end of the year will deliver an heir." There were cheers and bowing and congratulatory hugs all around.

The two strolled the corridors with elbows linked while the others followed. Kushina whispered, "Shijimi-chan, those courtiers seem to have given up even a veneer of respectable conduct. My Mother and my Aunt never would have allowed such debauchery back in... home."

"It wasn't like this when I first got here, but the Queen is sick and the Daimyo devotes his time to his rose collection. For all intents and purposes my husband is running the country."

"In that case he needs to be pushed to place you in charge of his court."

Minato laughed out loud, "You should know that she is not shy about making plans for anyone, be they local farmers or Kages and Daimyos."

He knocked quietly on a nondescript door and turned the handle. Inside a very skinny, rather homely man sat with his boots up on the table reading reports. His shirt was wrinkled and his tie askew. An ornate snow-colored jacket was tossed carelessly across a cluttered desk. He shoved a silver tray towards his visitors. "Captain Namikazi, you brought your team. Everybody grab a glass and pull up a chair. I only have an hour and I want to hear first hand how you ended up fighting Hanzou of the Rain and all managed to survive." He kissed Shijimi fondly.

"Hai Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

_July 22 – Death is a friend to a ninja. No not in the way of waiting for his sweet embrace, but in the face of a rival who you have battled so often that if he wasn't around you would miss him. Ninjas can't have the illusion that they are immortal. The evidence to the contrary is too stark. Those who do strive for it mostly go whackadoodle. There are legends of those who have lived beyond their natural years, but in the end invariably their own actions have called death to their doorstep._

_ While acceptance of mortality is necessary for a well balanced shinobi, so is the desire to protect and defend friends, teammates and loved ones. Without that impulse, the fighter becomes cold, a brutal killing machine with no care for consequences or morality. Sanity dwells somewhere between indifference and reality, between love and the realization that no matter how precious, no man can preserve the lives of all his friends._

Minato dodged the wind sharpened water shuriken, dove over the water spikes lying prone with his hands behind his head as if napping on the couch, pirouetted like a ballerina and ducked beneath a windmill shuriken with his chin resting on his fist like the statue of the Thinker. "Stop That Right Now!"

"Hunh?" He looked around just as a waterball splatted him in the face, followed by a whole barrage of small wet projectiles.

Kushina came stalking up cursing like she normally only used to intimidate disobedient genin. "Black bog take you. You may be Kami's gift to ninja-hood, but don't ever let me catch you goofing off like that during training. It may mean nothing to you but I need as much practice on a second element as possible so I can make full jonin."

"Hai Senpai, as you command."

"Don't call me Senpai you, you old man. Flash, I'm serious. If I don't know you are paying attention I can't go all out. You fight like you train and if you aren't serious someday you will inadvertently pull a punch on someone who needs to be seriously dead. I don't want you hurt. I don't have any spare boyfriends."

"You are right Red." He hugged her to his chest. "From now on, when we fight, we fight. We train when we train and play hard only when we play. But this war is wearing down so I don't think we have to worry too much about anybody else dieing."

They stood holding each other until they heard the rustle of the grass and sensed chakra quickly approaching. Minato prepared for a surprise attack. Instead Kuromaru stopped and stood at attention. "Mi-na-to, go Ho-kage meet." Kushina scanned the skies and noted flocks of hawks and pigeons radiating out from Konoha, as well as squads of genin moving at a rush.

"Message received. Well done ninja." The dog took off toward the next training field. "Let's go Otemba." She jumped up in his arms and held her breath. The world twisted and the next instant he stepped into a room facing a large framed sutra. As Kushina watched the runes faded out leaving behind a portrait of Minato's parents. She followed him as he raced upstairs.

As Minato tore through his bedroom, tossing his training outfit on the floor and grabbing his combat vest, scroll pouch, weapon's pouch and ANBU mask. She looked around avidly. She had never been to his cottage before, let alone seen his bedroom. He usually picked her up at her apartment after practice and sometimes... stayed overnight. Right now he was too preoccupied to notice that his bachelor housekeeping was being graded and found wanting. Changes were being planned behind his back.

They took off through the Village at a run. "I'm going on ahead. Meet me there." He was gone before she could answer. Kushina paused at the exterior stairs of the Hokage's palace and straightened her uniform. It was normal for people to hurry to report to Sarutobi, but quite another thing to be seen rushing in a panic. Such actions were bad for morale. She quickly mounted the stairway and around the long curving hallway. She glanced at the anonymous ANBU guarding the door, but when he made no move to stop her from reaching for the handle she decided that she was invited to the meeting after all.

The office was filled with every high ranking clan leader, ANBU and jonin not already out on assignment. She could feel the tension in the crowd as the Hokage's aide Daikoku Fueno reiterated the latest battlefield reports. Some rumor must have leaked out. She worked her way behind the gathering until she had a clear view of Minato in the front ranks. His fists were clenched in anger.

Daikoku paused as everyone's attention was drawn to a shape emerging from a wall. A giant python slithered across the floor and up onto the desk looking Sarutobi straight in the eye. "S-S-Sensei." The snake wriggled out of it's skin and left the way it had entered while the shed skin split open and rolled itself neatly into a scroll. Sarutobi unrolled it.

_**HOKAGE'S EYES ONLY**_

_July 21, To: Third Hokage. From: Oroichimaru, Commanding General, Grass Expeditionary Force._

_Shimura Danzou, General in charge of the east flank, acting on his own volition, advanced into the Rain Country with a battalion of ANBU, reportedly at the request of Leader Hanzou. Once inside the Rain they proceeded to set up an ambush for the leadership of a group of Rain rebels labeled as terrorists by the government. One unknown female was captured and used as a hostage. Two males were surrounded, but refused to surrender. Conflicting reports are that they retaliated either with a destructive summons or with some unknown doujutsu._

_Casualty report: Rebels, one dead, two escaped. Rain KIA, estimated in the hundreds. Leaf, 100% casualties, Injured Shimura Danzou, condition critical. KIA/MIA list to follow._

The office erupted in shouts of anger and disbelief. Highly disciplined soldiers were reduced to yelling questions for which they knew there were no answers forthcoming. Kushina took one step towards Minato. There was blood dripping from the palms of his hands where his own fingernails had gouged out wounds inside his balled fists. The fierceness of his voice silenced the commotion. "NO! This is wrong. Those are my men. I trained them. I led them. They are my responsibility. No one can waste them as if they are useless disposable tools to be expended and cast aside. Someone will pay."

No ninja is as fast as Minato Namikazi. Whether it be a race or quickness or reflexes or handsigns, few opponents survive their first encounter with the Yellow Flash. Kushina knew him. She viscerally understood how he would react to such devastating news. So it was that her flash step anticipated his signs by five milliseconds and she grabbed his elbow as they fell into that pit of cold emptiness which seemed to stretch for an eternity. The shinobi stared at the empty floor where two jonin had just disappeared in a flash of golden light.

**Next: **Chapter 3

Aftermath

Aiji – Beloved child

Kaigan no Oni – Demon Coast


	3. Aftermath

Kushina and Minato – A Love Story

Chapter 3

Aftermath

**Author's Note:** _Happy Fourth of July! For my fine readers in other countries, I know it is July 2. The 4__th__ is what we call our Independence day in America. So please read and enjoy in a spirit of freedom for all people, Starshipw._

_July 22 – What are the limits of a man? How much pain and heartache can he absorb before losing his core to passion or revenge? From the first time I saw Flash standing on top of that silly toad I have considered him the ideal shinobi; impassioned yet restrained, powerful but caring, dignified and goofy, the one man who makes my insides flutter and yearn to have a baby, for you Aiji. To someday have a child with Minato by my side... But now he has been pushed too far. The loss is too staggering. Can he find his way back to me?_

Blackness, stark and unrelenting. The cold was more than bone-deep. The chill reached clear to the soul. No fire, no fur, no tub of steaming water could ever reach those depths frozen for so many ages as they traveled from the Hokage's office to... where she didn't know. Kushina analyzed her situation dispassionately. Previously when traveling with Minato by body flicker there had only been a stomach churning wrench and twist, though no perceptible passage of time. Except, earlier in the day it seemed that the trip from the training ground to his cottage had been different. There had been a barely noticeable duration, though no more than that of passing through a doorway at full run.

Was time really passing? She knew that she was not breathing, nor did she feel any need to. She checked and found no evidence of a heartbeat. Her stomach and inner ears which had been twisted in nauseating loops felt no urge to rebel. She could not feel Minato's arm, but knew instinctively that he was still near.

Daikoku Fueno had lectured them about the latest scientific findings. Apparently even light traveled through space at a finite though unimaginable velocity. Even stranger, if you went that fast time would slow down, but time had seemed to speed up for her. If they were not actually traversing normal space why should distance matter at all? None of it made any more sense than the explanation about how the appearance of demons in the world inhibited the long distance propagation of radio waves and transmission of electrical power. Ancient sources are mute on the subject.

There was one possibility which she determined it was better not to concern herself over for the next decade or so. If she had thrown Flash off, if he missed whichever seal he was aiming for, they might spend eternity is this cold limbo, together yet never able to touch each other. She could never hold him or even tell him that she was sorry for killing them.

It seemed eons later when she noticed a glow, slowly approaching. Shining runes, rippling as if seen through water, rushed at her and resolved into a sutra attached to a spear.

… … …

They landed in the middle of the river on their hands and knees. Kushina's sea training helped her swallow her nausea, but it was too much for Minato. She recognized the battlefield where they had recently fought Hanzou and the one summoning tag beneath the creek which no one had bothered to recover. There was no time to voice her surprise. Minato was up and running without even bothering to pause and wipe the vomit from his mouth.

She followed him, matching stride for stride as long as he kept to the river, but as soon as he turned to the bank he was gone. There should be no problem following because he was headed straight toward the Leaf camp. She burst past the sentries and spied an old comrade. "Bekkou, you're OK."

"Otemba! Yeh, me and two other ANBU were still on sick call when Danzou left on that ill-fated mission. Did the Hokage send you after the Captain? You know, he's going to exterminate Hanzou of the Rain."

"Right, more or less. I need to stop him from destroying the Rain treaty or getting himself killed."

"I'll send word." Soon the warnings spread by hawk and semaphore, byakugan and genjutsu, and all along the path there were ninjas with food and water or pointing to shortcuts or water routes where she was quicker. Some paced her for short distances passing on the latest news. She never even looked back as she zipped through a border crossing where Hizashi Hyuuga stood stoically being berated by an enraged Rain captain. From that point on Minato's path was easy to follow as a trail of scattered weaponry and unconscious Rain-nin.

She was nearly to the Rain Village when one young teen stood in the road bravely blocking her way. He threw his kunai but she caught it and grabbed him by the vest lifting his feet off the ground. "Where is Hanzou?

He whimpered, "I may only be a genin but I'll never betray the Great Leader."

"Listen you, don't you know who I am? I am Otemba of the Leaf. What's your name?"

"Th-the one w-who fought the L-leader with the Ye-yellow Flash and the Hatake! I... Ryuusui."

"That's better. Now Ryuusui, if you want to save your Great Leader, I need to get to him before Minato does. Take me there."

In actuality there was little need for a guide. They followed a trail of damaged buildings and unconscious ninjas as they approached the capital. When they reached the city outskirts the genin escaped, screaming for help. Kushina let him go with no regrets. She was intimately familiar with the back alleys of this Village, having spent one steamy August undercover as a street kid hunting for a serial killer.

She wove her way through the stalls of the bazaar followed by the crashes of enemy ninja trying to barge their way past. She spied a familiar face. The Auntie at the baker's stand had sometimes let her have some two-day old bread if she swept and cleaned outside the stall. She grabbed a couple of fruit dumplings off the counter and left a two hundred ryo coin spinning in their place. She savored the warm appley goodness on the run as she considered her next move.

It was more likely that Hanzou was in his rooms in the tallest tower in the village than that he would be in the hospital. Both security and rumor control would be easier that way. Luckily she knew a shortcut to the center of town because the pursuers were starting to close in. It would be a crying shame if she was forced to drop her snack so that she could fight them off. She jumped off the next bridge and was around the bend of the river before anyone could follow.

The Rain capital's sewers were an engineering marvel. Designed to handle storms over 300 days a year, they formed a giant web beneath the streets completely unknown except to the engineers who kept them in repair and the cast off children who made them their homes. It wasn't a bad place to live as sewers went, since the human waste was flushed out on a regular basis and there were certain drains which were known to come from roof downspouts and could be safely used for cold showers and fresh water. Kushina had explored only a tiny section of the system, but she had been certain to memorize a direct path downtown against the possibility of a future invasion.

As she sped down the center channel of the main sewer she gave a shrill warbling whistle and leaped up a metal ladder where a teenage boy in a discarded chunin vest stood watch with a younger boy wearing a helmet much too big for his head. The teen hesitated, smart enough not to attack a ninja and confused because she knew the pass code. The thousand ryo she offered disappeared into his vest. It would cost him 20 percent for a fence to turn it into Rain currency, but it was more money than he had at one time since he filched a ring some old biddy had carelessly set on a counter.

The younger boy grabbed the half apple dumpling she held out and ran off, guard duty forgotten. Two pair of big round eyes focused on the sweet bean paste dumpling. Hunger overcame caution and a little brown eyed, purple haired girl stepped out of the shadows with her hand extended. The grimy toddler hanging onto her skirt wore only a T-shirt, toilet training apparently not being a high priority when living in a sewer. Kushina noted that when the girl tore the pastry in two that the toddler got the bigger half.

She turned to the teen, "Buck, heat springing ya. Yammer e'ryone hole up. Owe ya solid."

"Nada. Mouse, shelter." While he began tapping code on a pipe, the little girl called Mouse stuck her tongue out the side of her mouth as she concentrated. When she placed her hands on the floor a rock wall rose up and sealed the doorway. Kushina shook her head as she ran down the passageway. There was too much raw talent there to allow it to languish in filth. Maybe she couldn't salvage all the lost children, but somehow she would find a way to rescue Mouse and her brother.

The water was rising by the time she came to the alley where she planned to exit the sewers. She emerged into a light rain and the sound of running feet. As she feared, the government tower was completely surrounded by Rain-nin. As she studied the situation, Minato exited the front door and at a command, hundreds of arms targeted him. She felt a surge of chakra and all of the weapons missed. She decided to step in before a second volley could be launched. At her handsigns the puddles on the street rose into tidal waves and cleared a path. She ran to Minato before anyone could identify her as the threat.

"Flash - Hanzou? You didn't, did you?"

Vacantly he shook his head. "He's laying there in a coma. Did you know, they lost twice as many men as we did. What can I do to them that they haven't already done to themselves? So where do I go to get justice for my ANBU? Danzou has already paid with an arm and his disgrace. Tell me Red, who is left to punish but me? They were my responsibility and I left them in the hands of a madman while I ran off to play games."

She grabbed him by the vest and shook him until recognition showed in his eyes. "You aren't blaming this on me! You earned your time off. No man can be everywhere at once and no psyche can stand the unrelieved pressure we receive from death and destruction without cracking if we don't take our leaves. You know Danzou is too high up to stop. If it hadn't been your ANBU it would have been somebody else's army battalion. In his mind it was a straight forward mission. A little bit of betrayal and we turn the Rain into allies. If you didn't learn it as a genin it is past time you learned it now. We can't save everyone. We fight to protect all our precious people as hard as we can and properly mourn those we lose. If you can't deal with that then we will find you a desk job where you can file papers all day long and never have to look the people in the face that you can no longer save."

There were tears running down her cheeks and his body was trembling all over. "I can't do it any more. To give my heart to these men and kunoichi only to have some fool destroy it all... I can't..."

She hugged him tightly, "I know baby. It will be alright."

A tall thin man standing on a large ornamental pond interrupted them. "Surrender, Leaf invaders. Word has come down that your assassination attempt has failed. Lay down your weapons now and you will live until the Leader recovers sufficiently to pass judgment on you."

Kushina nodded, "You are Kandachi, Hanzou-sama's aide, so you know who we are and you know that if we had evil intent that this man could have caused scores of casualties. It would be best for all concerned to place this week's unfortunate incidents behind us. Please step aside and we will leave peaceably."

"Are you fools? Entering the Rain Country and attacking ninjas are crimes. Now you will pay. Summoning Conch King." A giant shell appeared on the pond beneath Kandachi. "Capture them. Conch Whip!"

Thin tendrils snapped at them from an opening in the shell, but Kushina was faster. Water shuriken sliced through the waving ropes. The kunoichi shook the rain from her scarlet hair. "I prefer not to injure summons when possible. It is not necessary for them to be hurt in petty human squabbles."

"Don't you dare look down on the Rain Country. Both men and beasts are prepared to give our lives for Leader Hanzou. You refuse to surrender, then die. Conch Spear!" Spears shot out of the giant shell, joining a rain of kunai and shuriken. Kushina formed a half dome which deflected everything but two spears which protruded through the water wall.

"Flash, snap out of it. If this keeps up I'll have to kill someone to keep us from being destroyed." She sent a tsunami at the attackers, but a group of water users repelled it back at her, destroying the dome and knocking them down. She got up boiling mad. "Namikazi, stop sulking and wake up." Her punch sent him flying, sending huge cracks up the side of the tower he smashed into. "I don't know what that gray mist is and I don't need to find out. I want to go home."

"Home?" The mist rolled over them.

"Yes, Home, Now."

When the mist cleared, Kandachi found no one paralyzed by his genjutsu.

… … …

This time she was prepared for the eternal void. It was actually comforting to think that time had stopped for the rest of the world and in that moment none of her friends could be frightened or in pain. The pain was all in Minato's heart and it was up to her to heal him. What he had said back in the Rain Village was true. He could not go back to ANBU after what had happened to troops he thought of as brothers and sisters and treated like his children. Well, the good thing about eternity, it gave a master strategist plenty of time to plot her next moves.

They emerged once again before the portrait of Minato's parents. This time he avoided motion sickness, whether because his body had adjusted or because it no longer cared enough to rebel she couldn't tell, but he didn't resist when she led him by the hand upstairs to the bathroom. She stripped off their soggy uniforms and stuck him in a hot bath until he warmed back up. She got him out and set him on a stool while she sudsed him up and rinsed him with buckets of warm water. She wrapped him in a large fluffy towel while she quickly performed her own ablutions. She sighed. Her hair took forever to dry naturally, but delays were unhelpful so she used jutsu to strip the bathwater from her body. She would pay tomorrow combing out tangles, but Flash came first.

She led him to his bed and lay down beside him. Just one more sad factor. Her first time in her lover's bed in his own home and it couldn't be a joyous romp like they had shared by the waterfall. No, it was more like the time two years before when she had offered up the heat of her naked body to keep him from freezing to death in an icy badger den. Whatever he needed, whether heat or sex or protection or just comfort, she was there to give him.

They lay there silently. He had not spoken since returning to Konoha. She thought that he had drifted off to an exhausted sleep, but with her breasts pressed against his broad back and her arm on his chest she could feel the soundless sobs wracking his body.

… … …

Minato Namikaze awoke the next morning to a feeling of loss, not from sorrow which had subsided to a memory of grief, but from something important missing from his room. He rolled over and discovered she was gone. It was probably better this way. She could never respect him after seeing the way he had been paralyzed by emotion, unable to function. It was better if she left now honestly. If she stayed with him out of pity she would just end up hating him.

Depression is a powerful emotion, but one thing which can overcome its inertia is a full bladder. He struggled out of bed, then stopped. Setting on a side table was a bowl of rice and a small pot of tea heating over a candle. Hope blazed in his heart. She made him breakfast before she left. Maybe she didn't totally hate him. Surprisingly he had an appetite, at least for food made by Kushina. He was scraping the last grains up when she reentered his room.

"You aren't dressed yet. You will be late for your new assignment."

"Assignment? But I have to see the Hokage to submit my resignation."

"Unnecessary. I already have your transfer papers."

He was completely confused. "What kind of transfer?"

"The Third was concerned that none of his candidates for the next Hokage had sensei experience. Unfortunately, all the genin teams have already been assigned this year. So you will be Captain of a Special Ops chunin team made of underage prodigies." She smiled warmly at the expression on his face. If she knew anything about those three brats, there was no way he would have any time left to brood over his loss.

**Next: **Chapter 4

Ichiraku Ramen Closes

Aiji – Beloved child


	4. Ichiraku Ramen Closes

Kushina and Minato – A Love Story

Chapter 4

Ichiraku Ramen Closes

"Sensei? The Hokage wants me to be their teacher? But all three of them are already chunin so why would they need a sensei?"

"You know their stories better than I do, Flash. Kakashi-kun didn't stay genin long enough to be assigned a team, Rin went directly to Medical Corps out of the Academy and Obito, well circumstances always seemed to keep him from bonding with a permanent team. So who could be more qualified than the famed Hope of the Next Generation to tame these super talented pre-teens and turn them into ninjas suitable for releasing loose into the world?"

Minato gave Kushina a sour look. "All right. You win. But where do I start with three brats who think they already know it all?"

She smirked. The challenge of training three unpredictable geniuses was beginning to push his grief behind him. She personally understood how long the recovery process would take until he was back, not to his old self, but to what would become a new normal. If love could in any way help the healing process, she would give all she had. "Old Man Sarutobi suggested one way to demonstrate their weaknesses and showcase the abilities that they could strive for." She tossed him a small leather pouch which tinkled in the air.

For the first time she saw him start to smile as he caught it. "The bells."

_July 23 – Human beings require some core of stability in their lives to which they can cling when the worst happens, Aiji. I know this better than anyone. When I lost my home, my village, my family, my friends and my health all in one horrible day, I was lost in despair. It was through the care of the Leaf Village and my new friends that I was healed in mind, body and spirit. Now I hope to do the same for Flash. He has a fresh challenge of being sensei to occupy his mind, Konohagakure's Will of Fire to renew his spirit, and me to... well, look after his body._

Luckily no introductions were required between Minato and his team because he was obviously not up to making inspirational speeches. Only Rin seemed to notice that he was not his usual exuberant self. Being ten year old boys, Kakashi and Obito's only thoughts were about how they would show off how strong they had become to the village's leading shinobi.

Kushina just shook her head when Kakashi attacked straight on. In the first place Minato hadn't even said go yet and in the second the predictable result was that he ended up with his arm twisted behind his back and his own kunai poised millimeters from plunging into his own ear while his new sensei berated him. That set the pattern for the rest of the morning. Kakashi attacked using each of the numerous jutsus he had learned while Obito, who had endured a similar test by Kushina, tried to convince him that they should be using teamwork and coordinating their attacks and Rin spent her time keeping the boys from coming to blows.

Unsurprisingly, when the sandglass ran out all three ended up tied back-to-back around a pole. Kushina reclined on a branch of a tall tree where she had lunch laid out for her and Minato. She was pleased that he seemed less stressed when he landed beside her. She knew that berating and abusing students could be as therapeutic for the sensei as it was necessary for the young shinobi's growth.

As they strolled back to the clearing she was encouraged to find that they had decided to cooperate sufficiently to free themselves from the ropes. The three were in a foul mood, but she also noticed a look of grim determination on their faces. Kakashi was the first to explode, "What was the point of that? It's not as if missing a meal is going to make any of us give up. We've all gone more than a day without eating one time or another on a mission. Let's get this over with."

Minato fingered the bells at his waist and they tinkled enticingly. "All right, let's see what you can do." Kakashi took this as the signal to start and attacked immediately, but was easily parried. The difference this time was an immediate follow-up by Obito's fireball forcing Minato to jump back, almost landing in a poisonous purple mist Rin spat out of her mouth. He avoided that too, only to have to quickly evade Kakashi's shuriken emerging from the fog.

The afternoon passed quickly with the blond blocking and dodging each attack as lightning was followed by kunai followed by fire followed by taijutsu followed by poisoned needles. The chunin attempted to maneuver him close enough so that one could engage him hand to hand while another went for the bells. The session ended with the jonin standing easily in the middle of the river while the three teammates slumped with hands on their knees, gasping for air.

"Well, you look all done in. Do you surrender?"

Kakashi immediately stood straight up, "Never!", but it was Obito who fired off a feeble exhausted fireball. Minato lightly hopped back, but unexpectedly crashed into a wall of water and had to quickly cover up.

He looked around at Kushina laughing at him. "You got overconfident and forgot to watch your back. Can you handle all four of us?"

The three chunin seemed to gather new energy as the battle intensified. Every time Minato dodged an attack a water jutsu was there to cut off his retreat. Triple combination assaults became quadruple with no more planning than a quick glance and nod to each other. Kushina was exhilarated. Outside of battle, she had not been tested like this since becoming special jonin and seeing Flash totally in the moment with no spare second to brood upon the past gave her joy. She matched his speed stride for stride on the river but he immediately demonstrated his superior reflexes by slipping past her kunai around behind her and swatting her on the bottom. She was thrilled. It was the first time he had touched her since returning from the Rain.

The students' second wind was nearly spent as Obito managed a final fireball driving their sensei toward Kakashi's shuriken barrage. Minato deftly pirouetted away, but as centrifugal force flared his clothing out from his body, a single star snipped a thin cord. Rin dove to catch it before it struck the water and came up holding a silver bell in her sweating palm. Their rivalry temporarily forgotten, the boys hugged her and slapped each other on the back while jumping up and down and cheering.

Kushina put an arm around Minato's waist and whispered in his ear, "Nicely done. They will never figure out that you calculated exactly how close that shuriken would pass."

He shrugged, "It was a well earned victory and an excellent lesson in teamwork, of which you were a big part. We owe you so much. How is it that you always seem to understand the right moment to intervene?"

"Aw shucks, a gal just tries her best you know. If you want to pay me back then take me out for some ramen. I'm the one who brought lunch."

They left the youngsters lying on their backs in the late afternoon summer sun, bragging to each other about the parts they had played in their victory and how they were getting stronger, strong enough to defeat the top ninja in the village. Minato was meditative, replying to her questions in only two or three words, but he didn't seem to be slipping back into melancholy so she left him to his thoughts. She remembered sharply how difficult it could be and how long it took to establish a new normal after a severe loss. Mourning was a necessary part of healing, as long as it did not dominate the rest of your life.

They entered the Village gates and heads turned admiring the handsome couple. Local wags offered wagers on how long this girl would last before the playboy dumped her, but others, perhaps more perceptive noted something different this time. One young newlywed, as it happened a former lover from his days as a player, remarked to her new husband that it would be wonderful if Namikaze-sama became as happy as she was.

They strolled arm in arm past bustling stores filled with civilians who, for the most part were untouched by the protracted war being fought by a small group of exceptional men and women to keep them safe. Kushina didn't begrudge them their blissful ignorance, and it wasn't just that as a member of the Uzumaki Clan she was born naturally carrying those responsibilities on her back. She had purposely chosen the role of defender of all those too weak to protect themselves in a war torn world. In return all she asked was a chance at love and a bowl of ramen. She stopped short, her chin dropping in horror.

Ichiraku ramen was closed with its shutters locked. The cook stood outside hanging a "Going Out of Business" sign.

... … …

Naruto stood bolt upright in the doorway he was leaning on. He looked around panicking, not knowing where to go or what to do. When Akimaru alerted, Kiba grabbed him before he sprinted off to check on the eatery. Sakura pounded him hard on the head yelling, "Idiot Naruto-baka. This all happened twenty years ago. Ichiraku is still open, dunderhead."

… … ...

" Teuchi! What's going on? What happened?"

The dour faced cook set down the hammer and shifted the baby from the pouch on his back into his arms. "What can I say Minato? It is a sad, sad day. Ichirou-sama fell ill recently and it turned out that he had had a stroke. His life is not in danger but... His doctor even called in Tsunade-sama for consultation and she agreed. Even with intensive therapy his left arm and leg will probably never operate properly again."

"I'm so sorry Teuchi-san. We hadn't heard he was sick. Please pass on our prayers for his full recovery." Kushina pressed her hands together and bowed.

"Thank you Otemba-san. Master is gruff and may not always express his feelings, but you have become one of his favorite customers. He will be pleased to hear good wishes from you."

Minato placed a hand on his shoulder. "Teuch, why don't you just continue to operate the shop? You have been running things by yourself for most of the last year anyhow."

"That's a nice dream, Minato. Unfortunately it can't happen." He sat down heavily on a bench. Ayame grabbed his finger and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing contentedly. "The Master's three sons have no interest in continuing to operate Ichiraku's. They have been pressuring their father to sell out for years and have even lined up a buyer."

"At least you should still have a job, right?"

Teuchi shook his head forlornly, "The buyer plans on tearing down the entire block to build a toy store instead of a restaurant."

This time Kushina was the one who looked downcast. "This store wouldn't be Gazetto Omochaya would it?"

"What do you know of Gazetto-sama? Is he some kind of international criminal?"

"Far from it. Gazetto-san is a very good man who would do anything to help a person in distress. Unfortunately for us he is an even better businessman. Any deal he negotiates he will honor to the last comma and expect the other side to do so as well. I doubt there is any way to convince him not to complete the purchase."

Minato shook his head, "Red, we can't get involved. Ichirou-sama has supported the Village for decades. It would be poor payback to cheat him out of the money he can use in his last years, especially when he is ill. Teuch, you know that if there is anything I can do to help you and your wife..."

"She's gone Nato, and for good I think this time. Last night when I told her I had lost my job she screamed at me that I was worthless and started throwing pots and chairs until I was scared for Ayame's safety and had to grab her. She spit in my face, called me a dickless wimp and left with all the savings hidden in the rice jar. I think she left town with a drummer from a folk band she had been going to see every night."

"I don't know what to say."

"It's not like you didn't try to warn me. I guess I should apologize for slugging you then. But I love her. If she was standing here even now I would take her back."

"Will you be returning now that she's gone? After… what happened... we could use someone as strong as you."

"I can't Nato. I won't leave Ayame-chan alone. She needs at least one parent to love her."

Kushina stood uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot. It was difficult to watch. She hadn't realized the two emotionally injured men were friends, close friends. Teammates? It didn't seem likely. As the silence stretched out, she forced herself to say something if only to interrupt the brooding. "Did the old man at least give you a severance?"

"Master Ichirou was quite generous. He gave me an extra month's wages and told me he wished it was possible for me to keep Ichiraku Ramen open. He even put a first refusal buyout clause in the contract, though he knew that it would be impossible for me to come up with such a high purchase price."

Minato brightened up, "If it is only money, I told you long ago I would help any way I can. How much?" He gave a low whistle as Teuchi held out a scrap of paper. "So many zeroes. I'm sorry, most of my capital is tied up in my new house. Even if I sold the apartment Otemba is renting I could barely raise half."

Kushina interrupted in her most condescending tone, "How nice, he wants me to move in with him, but I don't think we are ready for that on a permanent basis yet. Let me in on this deal. I still have the reward money from the Wind Daimyo and a bunch of A-rank..." The number stopped her dead and her whistle echoed Minato's. "Ichirou-sama negotiated that high a sale price from Gazetto for a storefront he wants to tear down! I'm triply impressed. I don't have half that much. It still leaves us a million or so ryo short." She pondered for a short while before jumping up. "I know just the person who just sold his Dad's mansion and probably never even thought about investing."

Minato tried to stop her, "But Red, that wouldn't be ethical for me to get him involved."

"Yer right. You can't. But I'm not his Sensei," she laughed as she leaped over the adjacent buildings.

… … …

Naruto jumped up and started tearing through the cardboard boxes piled in a corner. Sakura yelled at him, "Dobe, what are you doing?"

"It must be in here somewhere."

"Stop, just slow down before you destroy my filing system. Let me look. I told you to go over the accounts that Homura-sama gave you of your parents' property, but you never touched them, did you?" It was five minutes before she found the right ledger book. "Here it is. Ichiraku Ramen, current shares – Teuchi 40 percent, Ayame 11 percent, Naruto Uzumaki 39 percent, Kakashi Hatake 10 percent. Here are the income and expenses as well as the dividends paid for the past twenty years."

Naruto's face turned red and his whiskers darkened. His eyes were yellow with split pupils. "That bastard. That bastard I'll destroy him!"

Sakura took a step backward, suddenly frightened by an ugly temper rolling off her teammate. Hinata placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "Naruto-kun, what is wrong?"

His anger immediately shrank down to human proportions. "I'm sorry Hinata-chan. I wanted to take you to eat someplace fancy tomorrow for our one month anniversary, but I need to go to Ichiraku's instead. I own almost half of it and still that bastard has been charging me full price for the last sixteen years."

**Next: **Chapter 5

Makeover

Aiji – Beloved child

Omochaya – Toy Shop


End file.
